Stepping Across Cultural Lines to Get to the Truth: RRE 4
Religion Ruins Everything Daily 4 9.14.16 from One Life Network on Vimeo.
[5] When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, [6] “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” [7] And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” [8] But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. [9] For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” [10] When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. Matthew 8:5–10 ESV
Who was this guy? He was an enemy outsider!He would have been shunned and shamed by anybody, but not Jesus. There are two tiers of countercultural mercy going on here.
Centurions were Romans soldiers that had taken over Jerusalem. They weren’t the kind of people to ask a Rabbi for a favor.
Slaves were property in a master’s house. If one of them was sick and died, the master could just replace them. Very rarely were they treated as such close family members.
This man understood who Jesus was and Jesus’ authority. He knew Jesus could just give an order and the work would be done. He also felt unworthy, like the people that are afraid to come to church because the roof might fall in on them.
Who have you been inhibited to talk to because of their position or status, or where your relationship with them is? This Centurion was brave enough and humble enough to cross a cultural line to ask for help. Jesus was compassionate enough to put away a grudge and help. As a result, many people had an increase in their faith, and a man’s life was saved.